


A Second Chance

by amandalee727



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Divergence - Captain America: Civil War (Movie), eventually Bucky/Tony/Steve, not civil war compliant, starts after Age of Ultron, this is very much recovering!Bucky, will start out as Bucky/Tony at first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2018-11-15 00:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11219754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amandalee727/pseuds/amandalee727
Summary: Bucky suddenly arrives at Avenger's Tower seeking Tony's help. His memories are few, but slowly returning. When Tony and Bucky start to develop a relationship, Steve thinks he's missed his chance with both of them. His own reservations have kept him from letting his true feelings be known. Bucky and Tony notice Steve's sudden withdrawal and are determined to fix it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea originally came from an anon on my tumblr, who requested this:
> 
> Stuckony AU Tony and Bucky are together and love each other very much. Steve had always liked Bucky but stepped back when he realized Bucky likes Tony. When he started talking to Tony he started liking him too and was horrified with his feelings. Tony and Bucky had always liked Steve but thought they would have no chance since Steve never showed any indication. The three talk when Steve starts withdrawing and end up together. Happy ending.

Tony paused the work he was doing on the latest model of the suit, his heart beat picking up in his chest. The lights had gone out in a sudden flicker. All of his holograms that had been up for his reference blinked out and left the room in near complete darkness.

“Friday?” He tried to see if the AI was still up and running. He was met with silence. Great. He probably wouldn’t be able to alert the team, either. Whoever had made it this far was good. Too good to forget about bypassing the emergency signal that went out to all members if there was a sudden outage in Tony’s lab. Tony dropped his tools carefully and turned in his chair, only to let out a terrified shriek as he saw a man standing directly behind him. He picked up a nearby wrench and swung blindly, but a gleaming hand caught his wrist.

A lot went through Tony’s mind in that moment. The grip was gentle, first of all; obviously not meant to incapacitate Tony, just stop the wrench from meeting its goal. The goal being the intruder’s face. The second thing he noticed was, well, the shining metal hand that had actually caught him. There weren’t too many people with metal hands. Tony let his eyes flicker up, and yep, that’s what he’d thought.

James Buchanan Barnes was standing in his lab, blue eyes eerily cold as he stared down at Tony. It was clear that he wasn’t going to attack. Especially when Bucky let his wrist go.

Tony let the wrench clatter to the floor, still in shock. They stared at each other for a long moment before Bucky moved to a nearby chair and sat down. He presented his arm on the table wordlessly, and that’s when Tony noticed it was damaged. The plates were bent and kept shifting. Bucky’s face kept twitching a bit. He was in pain.

“Okay. Okay…but we’re totally going to have a talk about how you got in here like that,” Tony said breathlessly. Bucky’s only response was a huff. Tony went to work, getting all of, well, everything, back online. This almost felt like a dream. A very weird dream. He knew it wasn’t, though. The Winter Soldier was sitting here, in his lab, waiting for him to…well, he wasn’t sure what. Fix his arm, probably. But he knew there was significance to Bucky coming here, to the tower.

“We’ve been looking for you,” Tony noted casually. He moved carefully, slow, easy movements so Bucky could see him. Friday came back online, as well as the rest of his systems.

“Steve.” Was the one word answer that came from Bucky, his eyes still cold, but a bit of warmth in them now. Tony let out a shaky breath.

“Yeah. Steve. Friday, a scan, please.” The AI was smart enough not to verbally answer, just do as Tony said. He went over the results quickly, humming. It was amazing technology, but he could do better.

“All right, buttercup. I’m gonna open these access panels. Promise not to get jumpy?” Tony asked him as he scooted closer. Bucky nodded firmly, looking straight ahead. Tony let his hands go to work, pressing and unscrewing tiny pieces to the arm to get it to open. It was a tangled mess. All jammed and split wires. Tony tutted. “What the hell did you do to this thing?” He asked, not expecting an answer. There wasn’t one.

Tony worked as quickly as he could while still being careful. An hour went by, silence filling the room before Tony finally fixed the last of the mess and the arm whirred, as healthily as it could. Bucky sighed, obviously in relief as most of the pain left him. Tony looked at his face for a moment. Bucky was still handsome, but his face was different than the WWII photographs and footage. It was haunted, dark. Older. Tony made quick work of closing the arm back up.

“Thank you.” Came Bucky’s rough voice after a long moment of silence. Tony was surprised by it. He stilled and then nodded. Bucky’s eyes were trained on him, searching. “You don’t know,” Bucky croaked out, ominous. Tony felt a bit of a shiver go through him.

“Don’t know? Don’t know what?” Tony asked, feeling a little caged from Bucky’s intense stare. He had a terrible feeling go through him, though he wasn’t sure why. If Bucky was going to answer, he didn’t get the chance to. The doors to his lab slipped open, and there were heavy footfalls. Bucky tensed in his seat, but he didn’t dart.

“Tony! I know you haven’t eaten any dinner, and I figured I’d bring a pie down to you. The team is really worried that…” Steve’s bright voice came to a stuttering halt. His blue eyes were wide as he saw Bucky sitting near Tony. He dropped the pizza box in his hands.

There was a tense silence, much like the last hour or two of this night had been. Bucky looked downright flighty. He very obviously wanted to run, not comfortable around Steve quite yet. Tony could tell Bucky knew, deep down, inherently, that Steve was good, that Steve meant safety. But he was probably feeling guilty too. There were a lot of charged emotions between them.

“Bucky.” Steve’s voice was raw, disbelieving. He took slow steps toward the other super soldier, trying to show that he wasn’t going to do anything sudden, wasn’t going to harm him. Bucky kept a wary eye on him, his countenance reading that he was feeling quite a few things, but not wanting to really deal with any of them at the moment.

“Steve. I don’t think…he’s not really talking much,” Tony offered quietly. He was looking at Bucky, gauging his reaction to Steve’s presence. Steve’s gaze snapped to Tony, then. He seemed to understand and went still, not taking another step towards Bucky. It was the exact opposite of what Steve wanted to do, Tony could tell.

“Bucky here had a little arm malfunction. We’ve fixed it up, haven’t we buttercup?” Tony said easily, trying to keep the air in the room a little less stifling. Bucky just nodded, still staring at Steve, icy eyes looking unsure. Tony went back to his holographic screens, making a few notes. “Why don’t we get you a place to stay, huh, Barnes?” Tony asked the damaged soldier, looking over to him.

Bucky looked back to Tony and then slowly nodded. Steve looked so relieved it was damn near palpable. Tony wasn’t so sure Bucky would be here come morning, but Steve was obviously hoping so. He figured it couldn’t hurt to try, but he certainly couldn’t keep him here if Bucky didn’t want to stay.

Tony nodded back and got up, starting to turn things off in his shop. Bucky stood slowly. He walked close to Tony, giving Steve cagey glances. Tony could tell that hurt Steve quite a bit. It would just take time, Tony figured. Bucky wasn’t ready to be Sargent Barnes again. He may never be. Steve would have to come to accept that.

The three of them left the lab silently, Steve following the two of them, kind of reminiscent of a lost puppy. Tony showed Bucky the floor he’d let him stay on if he chose to stay beyond a few hours. Bucky hesitated at the elevator doors. Then he reached out and gave Tony a hug, shocking both Tony and Steve quite a bit.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky said shortly, before letting go stiffly, and darting to the bedroom. Tony would be concerned that Bucky seemed to know the layout of the tower apartments, but he was still reeling from the hug. Then, he registered what Bucky had said. Sorry? What was he sorry for? Tony frowned and turned to Steve, who suddenly looked very haunted, his usual bright blue eyes hooded by a darkness that Tony couldn’t explain.

“Steve? I…he just showed up. He was in pain, I fixed his arm,” Tony tried to explain. He felt his heart hammering in his chest. He had these stupid feelings for the other man, and it had gotten worse since he and Pepper had split about six months ago. Steve had never seemed interested, though. Painfully straight, Tony figured. So, he hadn’t pressed, hadn’t even given an indication.

Steve shook his head as they walked back into the elevator. Tony was getting a little worried about how serious Steve suddenly looked. Although, he figured that the reaction was warranted, considering the current situation.

“Tony…there’s something you should know. Something I should have told you a while ago when I first found out,” Steve said lowly. Tony’s heart raced impossibly fast. Whatever this was, it wasn’t anything good. Steve was a generally serious person, but not like this. This was something else entirely.

“Okay,” Tony agreed softly, trying to calm himself down. They went to Steve’s floor, getting off the elevator wordlessly. Tony followed Steve to the living room, sitting down when Steve prompted him to. His hands were sweating a little, Steve’s behavior making him beyond nervous.

“Your parents.” Was the first thing out of Steve’s mouth, and Tony felt his blood go cold. His parents? Steve knew this was a sore subject for him. He hated talking about Howard and Steve’s good old days. Hated thinking about how he’d never got to say goodbye to his mother.

“It wasn’t an accident. It was orchestrated. Howard had some serum left, some of the original formula. They were transporting it when the crash happened. It was an ordered hit.” Steve wasn’t looking at him, just into space. Tony felt shocked and saddened, his ears ringing. He wondered why Steve was telling him this now.

“They…they used the Winter Soldier to carry it out,” Steve finally revealed. Tony felt a lot of things in that moment. He wasn’t sure if he was angry, grieving, or feeling betrayed. It was probably a good dosage of all of those things. Bucky had killed his parents. Steve had known. The S.H.I.E.L.D information drop, no doubt.

Tony stood, his hands forming into fists, and then unclenching. Steve stood too, hands up, trying to placate Tony’s anger. “It wasn’t him. Not really. You know that. It wasn’t Bucky. They brainwashed him, Tony. You should see the video files. What they did…please. Please let him stay. Let him recover with us,” Steve begged, eyes wide and worried.

Part of Tony wanted to go up to the floor he’d just given Bucky and…and he didn’t know what. But he remembered the way Bucky had been; so numb to the world, only a few things bringing flashes of emotion. Tony sighed, eyes closing as he took a shuddering breath. He knew, deep down, that the monster that had killed his parents hadn’t been Bucky, but it was hard to swallow.

He’d had a long time to grieve his parent’s death, a long time to heal. It had been one thing when he’d thought it was just an accident, with alcohol on Howard’s breath. But now? This was another thing entirely. He’d grown up listening to tales of Sargent Barnes. His dad hadn’t been as fond of him as Steve, but he was up there.

“He killed them. You want me to let him stay here? Recover using money from the company my dad built? How could you ask that of me?” Tony turned his angry, red-rimmed eyes to Steve. He wouldn’t cry, couldn’t cry in front of Steve, so he clamped down hard on the sorrow, and focused on the rage.

Steve looked a little lost at that, sad blue eyes meeting Tony’s enraged stare. “Tony…” Steve took a step towards Tony, and somehow the genius managed to stay his ground, he didn’t waver. “He…he’s a victim. If you saw the videos…he’s broken, Tony. He’s been brainwashed, used as a weapon for seventy years,” Steve pleaded with him again.

A long, tense silence fell over them, Tony staring at Steve, and Steve staring right back. Tony knew that Steve meant every word. Hell, he knew every word was true. It would be so easy to blame Barnes, to lash out. But then who would he be? He’d have even more blood on his hands than he did already, and he knew…

He knew if his mother were here, she’d be telling him that Steve was right. That Tony should let that anger go, and help where he could.

“Okay,” Tony croaked out. He was shaking, still so angry. He looked over to Steve who was looking beyond relieved. “Thank you for telling me,” he added. He didn’t mention how it had taken Steve a little too long to tell him, but he was grateful that Steve had told him before Bucky had stayed here any length of time.

Steve nodded, looking Tony over. He reached out and put a gentle hand on Tony’s shoulder. Tony tried not to concentrate on how warm he felt from that touch, how a lot of the anger and grief lessened just from Steve’s support. 

“Thank you,” Steve said quietly. Tony tensed a little and then nodded sharply. He stepped back, making Steve’s hand fall away, and then he turned, not looking back at Steve as he left.

Tony walked away to the elevator, going to his own floor. He needed rest, needed time to process. He wanted a look at those files, but he knew he couldn’t handle that quite yet. He also knew there was a good chance that Bucky wouldn’t even be here come morning. When Tony finally found his way into his room, he let himself fall on the bed. That’s when the tears finally came, quiet sobs in the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second installment! More to come soon! Thank you for reading! :)

Bucky definitely hadn’t planned to stay the night. He knew that it would have been better to leave. He already felt guilty that he’d asked for Tony’s help, without the man knowing the truth about what he’d done. He wondered why Steve hadn’t said anything. No…he knew why. Steve was protecting him. Steve felt like he owed Bucky that protection, even from his new team, even after all the things that Bucky had done as the Soldier.

So, no, he hadn’t wanted to stay, but he was so exhausted, and the bed had been so inviting. He’d fallen asleep and only woken up when the sun’s rays filtered in through the modern glass windows. Bucky sighed as he opened his eyes, sat up and took in his surroundings in the daylight. The apartment was clean, nice, obviously filled with quality furnishings. Stark had the money, he knew. The one thing he liked about it most though, was how blank it was. Like it was just waiting for a person to make it theirs.

Bucky didn’t think too heavily on that particular line of thought. He couldn’t stay long. He shouldn’t. The guilt was ever-present, weighing on his shoulders so much; it was impossible to think of much else. And Steve wanted his Bucky back. He wasn’t certain that he had the heart to tell Steve that the man he had known was dead. The man he’d fought with seventy years ago was gone. In his place, a monster, a shell of a man.

Though, he supposed few more hours couldn’t hurt. He walked into the en suite bathroom, taking his time for once as he showered the grime, blood and God knows what else off of him. He let himself enjoy the water, not knowing if he’d get a moment like this for a while after he left today. He really should leave soon, before anyone notices or tries to come up to see him. Namely, Steve.

He got out and dressed, packing up his things quickly. He stepped out of the bedroom; his destination was the kitchen for a few things to eat before he traveled to wherever. Maybe Romania, see where his family came from. He paused, however, when he saw Steve standing by the stove, cooking breakfast. Eggs and bacon, he quickly realized, and more than a few pieces of toast set on a plate and buttered.

For some reason, he didn’t flee, and he was temporarily frozen in place. He watched as Steve cooked, the broad-shouldered blond humming to himself as he went about the chore. Bucky’s body and mind both faltered, as he rethought his plan. He was tired, and he was confused. He couldn’t remember things, but some memories came back in harsh, startling clarity. He didn’t want to run. 

He set the backpack down with a soft noise and that caused Steve to turn and finally notice him. Steve took in the clothes and the bag, and Bucky’s freshly showered appearance. He turned back to the food, quickly finishing up.

“You were going to leave, huh?” Steve asked like it was a casual question. Like he was asking how Bucky’s morning had been. Bucky was silent for a long moment before he could answer.

“Not now,” Bucky answered shortly. He went to the barstools and sat down as Steve made him a plate. “You told Stark?” He had a feeling that Steve would, after Bucky’s odd behavior toward Tony last night.

Steve nodded in response. “He…took it about as well as he could have. He’s been locked up in his lab this morning. I haven’t been able to get inside.” Steve told him as he sat beside him. Bucky didn’t reply, just started to eat. Steve ate with him, in companionable silence.  
______________________________________

When Tony woke up the morning after crying himself to sleep, he’d hastened to his lab. He didn’t want to risk running into any of his teammates, and he definitely didn’t want to see Barnes.

“Friday, lockdown protocol, please. No one has access.” He didn’t even want Rhodes in here at this point. He didn’t think he could have a decent conversation with anyone, and he didn’t want to try.

He tinkered with a few things as the morning stretched on, but he couldn’t take his mind off of the ex-assassin living in his tower. The man had killed his parents…but had he really? Tony kept thinking about the files that were out there on the web, encrypted and waiting to be opened. He set his tools down and waited a long moment.

“Friday. I want everything you can find on the Winter Soldier. And I mean everything,” Tony ordered sharply, the sound of his voice heavy in the silent lab. The AI gave the affirmative and got to work. It took a good half hour, but soon he had the files. Videos, notes, mission reports. He started to read, not quite ready to watch anything yet. 

The more he read, the more his stomach dropped, the sicker he felt. There were instructions, words on how to get the Asset to comply. That’s what the Soviet notes called Bucky. The Asset. He wasn’t even human to them.

He hesitated before clicking on a video. A demonstration, the notes called it. He watched in horror as he saw Barnes forced into the chair, restrained there as the machine folded over his brain. The electricity started and Tony listened to Barnes scream for about thirty seconds before he was stopping the video, not able to take any more.

He felt like he was going to puke, his knuckles were white with strain as they held onto the edge of the worktable. Shit, Steve was right. Tony had already known that, but now there was absolutely no fighting it, no denying it. Barnes was a victim, he’d gotten a fate worse than any of the people he’d been forced to murder.

Tony cursed loudly and punched his table, his breathing wavering as he tried to get a hold of himself. It took a long time until he could click on the next one. He didn’t want to see it, but he needed to understand.

This one showed the words being spoken, Bucky’s screaming filling the room, and then as the words went on, Bucky silenced. His face was twitching, his eyes going dead, cold. Tony stared in horror as they made him do unspeakable things to people around him, to document the proof that their Asset worked.

Tony shut the screen down. He sat in his chair, staring at nothing for a while, just completely shocked and horrified. He couldn’t turn Barnes away. Not after 70 years of that. He couldn’t blame the man for his parent’s deaths; there wasn’t any conceivable way that he could. He blamed the men who tortured Bucky, the scientists who delighted in turning Bucky into a shell, a weapon. He let out a shaky sigh as he processed this.

He needed a drink.  
______________________________________

Bucky had expected anger to fully hit Tony at some point. He’d expected the man to storm in and attack, or at the very least have him kicked out. However, three days passed and he noticed Steve starting to get worried. He learned that this was a common thing for Tony, closing himself up in his workshop when he was upset or stressed.

Bucky had met some of the team in those three days, and they seemed supportive, at least. Natasha seemed to understand most of all. They’d been through something similar, he supposed. He knew her file, had fought her many times as the Soldier. He’d even shot her, a wound she had teasingly flashed at him as they spoke quietly in Russian in the common area.

Steve had tried to talk to him a few times, see what he remembered. Bucky hated the sad look Steve got whenever Steve would talk about something and then notice that Bucky wasn’t remembering. It made Bucky avoid him a little, just so he didn’t have to try and pretend to be someone that Steve knew. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his friend’s feelings. He did, which is why toward the end of the third day that Tony had shut himself up in his lab, Bucky decided to do something about it.

He made his way down to the lab level, looking around curiously. He paused at big glass doors, an access pad that was lit up red, locked, seemingly the only way in other than breaking the glass of the door. Bucky had at least three other ways to get inside, but he decided he should probably knock this time.

“Uh...Friday?” He tried the AI. He wasn’t used to speaking much, let alone to a bodiless entity.

“How may I help you, Sargent?” The light Irish lilt asked. Bucky liked the voice; it was soothing. Apparently, there had been a British male personality before her that Ultron had destroyed. He was told it was a sensitive topic and to not bring it up around Tony especially.

“Is there a way you could get Tony’s attention for me?” He tried that approach since he was sure access into the lab was barred. However, a simple message to turn around? Surely Tony hadn’t thought to disallow that.

The music in the workshop that was blaring went silent and there was a moment of silence as Tony listened to Friday. The man’s shoulders tensed and he put down his tools. He slowly turned to face the doors and frowned as he saw Bucky. A second later, the doors slid open and Bucky took hesitant steps inside.

“Well, look who knows how to use doors, after all. Miracles do happen, you know.” Tony tried to tease, to lighten the air, but Bucky could see how tense he was still. He was upset, not that Bucky blamed him at all.

Tony’s eyes searched Bucky’s as the ex-assassin made his way carefully over to the genius. “I know Steve told you,” Bucky said simply, gaze unwavering. Tony took a sharp intake of breath, looking visibly shaken. The genius broke their eye contact and looked back to his worktable, his arms crossed over his chest.

“He did,” Tony answered, frowning heavily. “I…I don’t blame you. I saw the files, watched the videos. I know what they did to you.” Tony’s voice sounded strained. Bucky halted a bit at that.

“I’m sorry. I’ve hurt a lot of people. I knew…” Bucky trailed off. He’d known Howard. He’d been a friend, and he hadn’t even blinked as he ended the man’s life. But that was the last thing Tony probably wanted to hear. Tony twitched, and brought up some holograms, trying to deflect.

“It wasn’t you. I can see that now. You don’t have anything to worry about. You can stay here to recover,” Tony said, trying desperately to keep his voice even. Bucky let his boots make heavy noise as he moved even closer to the genius, not wanting to startle him. He paused near the table, still staring at the other man.

“Thank you,” Bucky replied softly. “I don’t deserve it, but thank you.” He had killed them. He’d killed all those people with his bare hands. He didn’t feel absolved. He felt guilty. He felt like a monster that deserved a worse fate than this.

Tony turned to look at him finally. The genius’ big, brown eyes were vulnerable, and Bucky’s breath caught in his throat a bit. The other man was beautiful, and it was like Bucky was just now noticing this particular fact.

“Don’t,” Tony said sharply in response. “Don’t say that. You deserve to heal. You didn’t deserve what those assholes did to you.” Tony was adamant about it, face more serious than Bucky had seen it yet. Bucky didn’t give that a response; just let quiet wash over them for an instant.

“Do you…do you mind if I stay down here with you?” Bucky found himself asking. He wanted a little company, but he didn’t want to talk to Steve right now. He had a feeling Tony felt the same way, hence why he had locked down his lab from visitors. 

Bucky didn’t want to remember the past, not right now at least. The memories hurt, and he wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. Right now, he wanted to heal and make a future. And this beautiful man, who was forgiving him against all odds, seemed like a very good place to start in Bucky’s mind.

Tony tensed a bit, but eventually, his shoulders relaxed and he nodded. “Sure, pop a squat,” He answered lightly as his hands waved around and moved blue holograms around. Plans for suit upgrades, among other things. 

Bucky decided that he could watch those amazing hands work forever.


	3. Chapter 3

As a few months passed, Bucky made very good steps in his recovery. The team was supportive, including him during movie nights and making time to try and get to know him individually. He was particularly close with Natasha. Tony never even tried to interrupt their quiet talks in Russian, huddled together on the rug or the couch in the common room. He was just glad to see Barnes making progress.

They were getting closer too. As much as Tony was trying to fight it because frankly, it was terrifying, he was starting to actually like Barnes. And not in the friendly way that everyone else was starting to like him. Thoughts of Barnes kept him up at night. Those gray-blue eyes that had been getting softer and softer as time went on, the harshness of the Soldier getting stamped out just by being around loved ones, around friends.

Bucky had been spending a lot of time with Tony in his lab. He was fascinated by science, as it turned out, and Tony was all too eager to try and explain his ideas to someone who actually looked interested. Steve always did too, but Tony knew it was because he had a friendly fondness for Tony’s antics, not because he was genuinely interested in Tony’s inventions. But that was fine in Tony’s book.

Tony sighed and grabbed a cup of coffee, trying to force the thoughts of being romantically interested in Barnes away. It was bad enough with Steve, now he had to go and fall for another super soldier? Figures the men he likes are always as straight as the gods make them.

He shuffled down to his lab, nursing his wonderful mug of life-elixir. He paused just for a second when he saw Bucky sitting on the couch he had down there, reading something on a tablet. He couldn’t help the soft smile that bloomed on his face when Bucky lifted his head and grinned at him.

“Hey, Tones!” That had become a nickname that Bucky was sticking to. Rhodes called him that too sometimes, so he hadn’t minded in the least. Tony wandered over to Bucky, sitting next to him as he took another long sip of coffee before answering.

“Hey, yourself. Doing some catch-up?” Tony asked, nodding toward the tablet. Bucky often read about things he hadn’t been taught as the Soldier. He knew a lot about military history and happenings, of course. The Asset had been involved in most of them. However, he didn’t know anything about pop culture. It hadn’t been relevant in the Asset’s training.

Bucky nodded and showed him what he was reading. Tony’s eyebrows rose, surprised, as he saw what it was about. Kind of old news by now, but it still was surprising. “Gay marriage?” Tony asked, before taking yet another sip of his blessed caffeine.

Bucky nodded, turning it back around so he could keep reading. “It’s great. I…never even got the chance to celebrate. That part of my identity was wiped away too, it was irrelevant,” Bucky said with a frown. 

That made Tony pause, even more, surprise surely evident in his facial expression. Bucky let out a laugh, obviously sensing Tony’s disbelief. “Yeah, I like the fellas just as much as the dames. Of course, couldn’t admit it back in the day. Would’ve been locked up at best, dead at worst,” He explained with a frown and a shake of his head.

Tony let this sink in. Barnes wasn’t straight. This was a very dangerous revelation. He shifted and cleared his throat, trying to act casual. “Yeah, it’s no big deal now. I’ve had a few trysts with a guy or three.” He was trying to just put it out there, in case Bucky didn’t already know. His exploits were common knowledge to most, but the Soldier undoubtedly never bothered to read the gossip rags. He loved women, usually preferred them honestly, but he had an appreciation for an impressive male form for sure.

Bucky gave him a hum and a glance that could only be described as curious and Tony felt a thrill shoot up his spine. Tony collected himself and went to his work. He didn’t even know how to address that. He was going to just run from it like he usually did. He felt a shifting weight behind him as he got to his worktable, and he was glad he’d set his mug down otherwise he might have dropped it.

“So. Wanna grab dinner tonight?” Bucky asked in a low voice and holy hell that was literally right behind him. Tony turned and his eyes went a little wide as he saw Bucky standing close, a roguish grin on his face. Was he asking him out? Was this seriously happening right now? 

Tony blinked in surprise, and then he grinned back. Yeah, that was definitely a man who was interested. He nodded, letting his grin ease into a small smirk. “Sure thing, buttercup,” He teased, brown eyes twinkling. Bucky looked a little relieved at that and definitely excited. He set the tablet down and turned to leave the workshop.

“I’ll pick you up at your floor at 8. Don’t forget about it.” Bucky knew that Tony often lost time as he worked. Tony regarded him fondly as he leaned back against the worktable.

“You got it,” Tony answered, watching as Bucky left. He let out a delighted laugh as the super soldier gave him a wink. Honestly, his heart was hammering in his chest, butterflies fluttering in his stomach, and damn how long had it been since he felt like a high schooler?

 

Tony managed to stop his work at 6. He shut the lab up and grabbed a quick shower, before meticulously picking out what to wear. He was nervous; this was all so sudden after thinking he had absolutely no chance with Bucky, just like he’d had no chance with Steve. Shit, Steve. They should probably tell him that this was happening, along with the rest of the team. Whatever this was.

Those were thoughts for later. For now, he was going to enjoy this first and impossible date. It was five after when Friday let Tony know that Bucky was standing outside his door. Tony nervously walked over and swung the door open to reveal an incredibly and ridiculously attractive man.

Damn, Bucky Barnes cleaned up nice. He’d trimmed his scruff, and pulled his hair back out of his eyes with just a little bit of product, and if Tony hadn’t been sure this was a date before, he definitely knew it was one now.

“Wow,” Tony breathed out, and then he flushed because that was so not suave. Bucky laughed and gave him a long once over, obviously appreciating his view too, which only made Tony’s blush worse.

“I could say the same thing.” Bucky offered his arm to Tony, an old-fashioned gesture that honestly had Tony’s heart leaping. He took the offered arm with a shy smile. He was usually so good at this, but something about Bucky had him feeling like a sweaty-palmed sixteen-year-old picking up their prom date.

Bucky took him to a nice little Italian place on a side street. Tony would think that Italian was a little much for a first date, but it felt right. They laughed and sipped on wine over a candle-lit dinner and it was so damn romantic, Tony almost ran for the hills because he was terrified. He was falling so damn fast and he had no control over it. He hadn’t felt like this since Pepper, and he was so scared of getting hurt again. Of yet another person leaving him.

Bucky seemed to sense his fears at the end of the night. The super soldier reached over the table and took Tony’s hand in his. “Something’s wrong,” Bucky said lowly. It wasn’t a question; he knew Tony was thinking something. They’d been having such a good time, talking and laughing and flirting over pasta and the restaurant’s best merlot.

Tony looked a little shifty, but he didn’t pull his hand away. “I…I don’t want to bring the tone of the night down. This has been great, although I have no idea why you’d be interested in a 47-year-old who’s been around the block more than a few times,” Tony admitted with a sour laugh.

Bucky stared at him for a moment, looking like he couldn’t quite believe Tony’s doubt. “Is that honestly what you think you’re worth? Tony…you’re brilliant. You’re hilarious and devastatingly gorgeous.” Bucky paused, and Tony felt his face heat up. When’s the last time someone called him gorgeous? He couldn’t even remember.

“If anyone isn’t worth it, it’s me,” Bucky said softly, and that got Tony’s attention. He looked at the super soldier with incredulity. He was about to ask just what the hell Bucky was talking about when the other man continued. “I…all the things I’ve done. All the people I’ve hurt. Your…your pare--” Bucky started and Tony interrupted him by holding up a hand.

“Don’t. Don’t you dare do that again. You know I forgive you. You know that it wasn’t you, that it wasn’t your fault,” Tony said, his face incredibly somber and serious. Bucky took a shaky breath and broke their eye contact, looking unsure. 

Tony huffed and took Bucky’s flesh hand in both of his. “James Buchanan Barnes. Even before tonight, you had to have known I didn’t blame you. You’re a hero, a veteran who was victimized, and a prisoner of war. You’re the bravest man I know,” Tony said softly and that got Bucky to look back into Tony’s eyes.

“No. Steve Rogers is the bravest man you know. I…I’m not Captain America. I have…red on my ledger,” Bucky sighed. He’d probably picked that phrase up from Natasha. Tony went a little still at the mention of Steve. Bucky must know. He was a trained spy, he wasn’t an idiot. He must have noticed how Tony had looked at Steve in those first couple of months before he started to fall for Bucky more.

“I was in love with him too, you know.” And that got a wide-eyed look from Tony, as Bucky shakily admitted it. “Even when he was a scrawny little guy…I wanted him, but I was a coward. I was afraid of bein’ imprisoned or killed. Of Steve turning me in, or worst of all, Steve gettin’ hurt.” Bucky took his hand away from Tony’s grip, looking down at the table again. “Anyway, he’s always…been into dames strictly, you know?” Bucky laughed sourly.

Tony looked at Bucky for a long moment. “Yeah, I know,” Tony said softly. They shared a moment of silence together before Tony spoke up again. “I…I was in love with him, even before I met him. But maybe…maybe Steve’s done us a favor. He’s brought us together. He never meant to hurt us. You know that,” He said as he looked across the table at Bucky intently.

Bucky nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.” Then, Bucky smiled, a soft, sad thing, but it held promise. He reached back out and took Tony’s hand in his again. It felt good, to have all of that off their shoulders. Now they could move on together, with each other, and hell if Tony didn’t love the sound of that.


	4. Chapter 4

They spent a little while longer in the restaurant, choosing to share a tiramisu. They went right back to lighter topics after their brief serious discussion. They talked about the team, and Tony’s recent projects, and it just felt amazingly right.

When the night was winding down, they left, Tony paying quickly and then taking Bucky’s hand as they walked out of the place. Bucky felt a little giddy as he laced their fingers together and walked back to where he had parked his bike.

Bucky definitely didn’t miss how close Tony was pressed against him as they rode back to the tower. He was glad the helmet hid his blush. The full visors were meant to protect their identity on the busy New York roads, but it was also good for playing it cool, as it turns out.

Bucky decided the gentlemanly thing to do would be to walk Tony back up to his floor. He went to press the button for Tony’s suite, but Tony’s had stopped him and pressed the level for his lab instead. Bucky fixed him with a disbelieving look.

“Really? You know it wouldn’t kill you to actually get some sleep now and again,” Bucky said, but he was teasing, a small smirk on his face as he said it. Tony regarded him with a hum.

“So I’ve heard.” The elevator stopped at their destination and Bucky easily followed Tony out. “But you know me,” Tony answered, meant to be a gentle tease in return, but it struck something in Bucky. A nice, warm feeling that bloomed through his chest. He did know him. And he wanted to know even more of him.

The lab was actually a very welcome place after tonight. Bucky often spent a lot of time down here with Tony, fascinated with the technology, and fascinated with the man that had created all of it. 

The arm would spasm here and there, causing Bucky a bit of pain. Tony would almost immediately recognize this and quickly learned to notice the signs before Bucky could try brushing it off.

They’d spend hours talking to each other; Tony exchanging his latest invention plans for stories of the Howling Commandos. Bucky was surprised he remembered a lot of the stories he told. His memory was getting better with every day, and he could see that it made Tony happy. It made the whole team happy, which was a surprise. They’d really taken Bucky under their wing and even though Bucky felt like he didn’t deserve their affections, he was grateful.

Bucky knew that Steve had spent a lot of time down here with Tony as well. The other man would join them sometimes, but he’d always slip off after Bucky and Tony got talking about some theory or another, saying he should go for a workout or something along those lines. Bucky didn’t think anything of it, and neither did Tony.

Bucky really had once loved Steve. Still did, in fact, even with this budding thing with Tony. Though, he knew that Steve saw him as a friend, a brother. He’d been so in love with Peggy, during the war, and Bucky had tried not to let that hurt. He’d figured it served him right, after going dancing with so many girls as they grew up instead of admitting his feelings to Steve. He’d been a coward, afraid of Steve’s hatred and afraid of being put in jail, maybe even killed.

He’d more or less given up on Steve, though. But that was all fine, he supposed because his heart had focused on a new man. A man of the bright, impossible future.

It was with these thoughts in mind, that he found himself staring at Tony as the genius stepped into his workshop and immediately started to explain something animatedly. His hands were flying around everywhere, his brown eyes bright with knowledge. It was beautiful.

He didn’t even notice he was moving until he was way too close to Tony to explain away. The genius’ words stopped and the shorter man was staring up at him with wide eyes, a tiny smile on his lips. It was very reminiscent of earlier today when Bucky had asked Tony out in the first place. Bucky watched as Tony’s smiling lips parted a bit, and he took that as a sign.

He leaned in and kissed him, fully and eagerly. He realized then that he’d wanted this for weeks, months, and he was finally letting himself take it. He wasn’t going to be a coward this time.

Tony kissed back, hands curled in Bucky’s shirt as Bucky smiled against Tony’s lips, and backed Tony up to the workbench, hands wandering. The other man was warm under his hands, muscles, softness, and slight curves in all the right places.

They gasped as the kiss broke, panted for air as they looked into each other’s eyes. Tony smirked, obviously delighted, and then he laughed. It was the best sound Bucky had ever heard.

“Finally! You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” Tony admitted with another small laugh. He brought Bucky close for another eager but short kiss. “God! This is amazing. Think of the sex. I mean, I have been thinking of the sex, trust me. You make it really hard not to, what with all your…muscles and sexiness and just…” Tony sighed happily. “I’m rambling aren’t I?” He asked, but he didn’t seem overly bothered with his own realization.

Bucky laughed, a low, soft sound that he was still getting used to himself. “Yeah. You are, but it’s adorable,” He placated. Tony lit up at that, delighting in the compliment and Bucky secretly vowed he’d compliment this man every single fucking day.

Bucky kissed him yet again, wanting more. It was a little slower this time, as they memorized each other's lips, how the other felt and tasted. He heard a soft little sigh come from Tony that made his blood rush straight down. Wasn’t there supposed to be a rule about not doing this on the first date? Bucky decided he didn’t really care all that much, honestly.

“Oh.” There was a third voice, coming from across the room. Really, Steve always had the worst timing. Bucky looked over to his friend, eyes shining. Steve looked a little uncomfortable, shifting. “Am I…interrupting something?” Steve asked, glancing at them, and then at the floor.

Bucky laughed, completely unaware of the hurt Steve was feeling. He figured the discomfort was the same as it always had been. Steve wasn’t very good with mentions of romance or sex, let alone seeing displays in public.

“Yes, Stevie, but that’s okay. We’ll forgive you if you have coffee?” Bucky helped his friend out and took a step back from Tony. That got a whine out of the shorter brunet.

Steve fumbled a bit. He did indeed have a couple mugs in his hand, as well as a pizza balanced on the other, having no idea that Tony and Bucky had just been to a restaurant. No bother, Bucky would easily eat the whole pie later. Steve walked over and set them down. “I can…go. I mean. I actually have to go. I just wanted to bring this down. Tony forgets to eat,” Steve stammered a bit. That comment earned Steve a light huff from said genius, but it was fond.

Steve was gone before Bucky could get a word out. He hummed, a bit of a frown replacing his happy and teasing smile. He turned back to Tony, who was reaching for a mug of coffee but looked a little worried too.

“Don’t worry, he’ll come around,” Bucky said. “He just has a hard time with, well, anything vaguely romantic.” Bucky hoped it was only that. Steve didn’t have homophobic tendencies from their time, did he? No, Natasha was openly bisexual, didn’t care to hide it. Steve had never minded that.

Tony just hummed as he sipped his coffee like it was water from the Fountain of Youth. He finally set the mug down. “He’s probably just a little shocked that his best friend from the forties is shacking up with his friend from the future,” Tony reasoned. 

Bucky wasn’t convinced, but he supposed the other man could be right. Finding out your two good friends liked each other could be a bit awkward, Bucky supposed. Though he had a certain feeling, deep down, that something else going on here.

“Hmm. We’ll talk to him later. For now…” Bucky said, his teasing smile blooming on his face again. Tony laughed as he was kissed again, having to hurriedly put the coffee down as he was pressed back against the table to resume their newfound mutual attraction.

Bucky couldn’t help but feel absolutely giddy that Tony had put down coffee. For him.


	5. Chapter 5

Steve tried to push his panic down as he left the workshop. His hands were shaking, breath coming in short gasps as he made his way to the gym. It was late, but he needed something to do, needed to sort out his feelings, and this was one of his sure-fire ways to deal with his issues.

He almost felt sick as he made his way through the tower. He couldn’t get the image of Tony and Bucky out of his mind. They were beautiful together, everything Steve could’ve hoped for, yet it tore at him. His heart feeling like it was in pieces with every step he took as he retreated.

He never thought that it could be possible. Sure, he’d seen them getting closer. He’d been glad for it at first. It was honestly a miracle that they weren’t at each other’s throats, considering Bucky’s past. Tony had forgiven him, and Steve had been so relieved.

He got to the gym, wrapped his hands in tape, and then put the first punching bag onto the hook.

He’d buried Bucky. In so many ways. He’d been the love Steve could never have. The time they grew up in making it damn near impossible, then the war. He’d met Peggy and thought that was his answer. Finally, he’d met a girl he could be happy with. He could get over Bucky, be the brother that the other man needed. Then he’d lost him, watched him fall, and he’d known he couldn’t. As much as he loved Peggy, he couldn’t go on. It had been so easy to let himself sink that ship. He’d had Peggy’s picture out, and he’d imagined Bucky’s next to it as the ship crashed, and he let the cold dark overtake him.

When he’d woken up in this strange future, he’d felt so lost. Bucky was still gone, Peggy was old and her memory frayed. It hurt Steve to see her like that. She’d been so strong, she deserved so much more. 

But in the middle of his grief, he’d met Tony. 

They grated against each other in the worst ways at first. Steve had thought that he’d gotten the worst parts of his father. Then, the walls Tony fought so hard to keep up started to crumble away, and Steve got to know the true heart of Tony Stark.

Steve had found a new light, a new reason, a new home. All in one man. Of course, Steve knew he couldn’t have Tony either. Despite knowing the genius wasn’t opposed to men sharing his bed, Tony had been so damn happy with Pepper. Steve wasn’t the type of man to break something like that up for his own selfish gain.

So he’d been the friend Tony needed. He’d watched, idly, happy enough to be an Avenger. To have a new family. 

When Tony and Pepper had ended things, Steve had felt like the worst kind of person for being happy. Tony had been devastated, and Steve wasn’t sure he deserved him, for finding some sort of glee and hope in the pain of Tony and Pepper’s ended relationship.

Just as Tony had started to heal, about six months after the fact, Steve’s world came crashing down again. He’d been so close to asking Tony out, as he noticed the signs of Tony’s happiness coming back to him slowly but surely.

Then, he’d walked into that workshop one night and he’d seen the ghost of his first love in that chair.

The punching bag burst and Steve sighed, frustrated as he grabbed another.

They’d known Bucky was out there, of course. After the fall of Shield, Steve had hunted for Bucky relentlessly, with Sam’s help. His lost friend hadn’t wanted to be found. He wouldn’t give up, he’d decided, but his heart had to move on. He couldn’t wait for Bucky to find him again; especially since what was left of his friend wasn’t the same man he’d known all those years ago.

Seeing him again, though. Seeing him with Tony that first night had made his feelings come crashing back so horribly…

He hooked another punching bag up and rubbed his hands together before he started to punch, trying so desperately to let all his emotions leave him through the violent movements.

Steve had been right, of course. Bucky hadn’t been the same. He’d been changed, a shell of a man. And Steve found himself at a horrible impasse.

He still loved Bucky, his impossible first love. Yet he loved Tony, the man who had given him a new home.

He didn’t deserve either of them.

The last thing Tony needed was for him to be secretly in love with someone else. He couldn’t do that to his friend. Not after Pepper, not after everything Tony had been through and lost. He wouldn’t be one of the people to betray him.

And Bucky was so fragile, relearning how to be a person and not a weapon for others to use. It wouldn’t be right for Steve to ask Bucky for something more, when Bucky barely knew himself.

The punching bag gave underneath his onslaught, sand going everywhere. He paused, breathing hard and that’s when he noticed there were easily fifteen, maybe more, ruined bags on the gym floor.

He took a shaky breath as he undid the tape on his hands, left it on the floor carelessly. He never left the gym like this. He always cleaned it up, but he found himself just leaving, going back to his rooms.

They were together. The two men he loved had found happiness in each other, and he should be happy for them.

He was selfish, though. So horribly selfish, and he felt himself getting nauseous for the first time in years. He’d lost them both, hadn’t deserved either of them and they’d fallen through his fingers like the damn sand that littered the gym floor.

He stumbled back to his room, found his bed and willed himself to sleep, ignoring the tears on his lashes and the cuts and bruises on his knuckles.

 

Bucky stirred and smiled softly as he felt the morning sun filter in through the window, a warm body beside him. Friday’s voice spoke softly, announcing that it was 8 in the morning and 64 degrees outside on a Wednesday. He heard a soft grumble beside him and his smile widened.

“G’ back t’ bed. It’s ungodly,” Tony muttered into the pillow, trying to shield the light as Friday pulled back the automatic curtains. Bucky just kissed Tony’s temple and stretched as he got up.

“Friday, put the curtains back,” Bucky asked of the AI quietly. The room was put back in relative darkness and soon enough he heard Tony’s soft snores again. Last night had been wonderful, Tony so beautiful underneath him. Bucky grinned as the memories came back to him, how Tony had arched and moaned so gorgeously.

He took a quick shower and went to the gym to find Steve. No doubt the other super soldier had already woken up, ran and had breakfast, and was now doing his morning routine. He wanted to talk to him about last night and make sure that everything was okay.

He paused as he walked in, and his heart froze as he saw the state of the place. There were broken punching bags everywhere, the gym in a complete state of disarray. Bucky immediately turned and ran toward the elevator. “Friday, where’s Steve?” He demanded, panic surging through him. Had it really been that bad? Was Steve that angry? How had he missed this?

“Captain Rogers is not currently in the building,” Friday answered crisply in her Irish lilt. Bucky cursed and pressed the button for Tony’s floor. They had to find him. Something was terribly wrong here.

“Tony!” Bucky called for his lover. He heard a grumble, and under normal circumstances, he would think it was adorable, but he couldn’t afford to think about anything other than Steve right now. “Tony, wake up, something’s wrong!” He shouted again, and that got Tony sitting up sharply, panic in his own wide brown eyes.

“What? What’s wrong?” Tony asked, as he got up and threw some clothes on in a hurry. In their line of work, they needed to be ready for just about anything, and Tony was reacting on impulse.

“It’s Steve. Tony, he’s gone and the gym… the gym is a wreck; I’ve never seen it like that. Even if he breaks a couple, he always cleans it up. God, Tony…” Bucky felt terrible dread go through him. Steve had been so withdrawn lately. Bucky had been so wrapped up in Tony that he had brushed it off, disregarded all the signs.

Tony paused and stared, looking a little horrified and no doubt making some of the same connections that Bucky was.

“We’ll find him, Buck. We’ll make this right, whatever it is.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some resolution, finally. There was so much baggage, I thought Bucky and Tony deserved some time to hash things out with Steve alone.
> 
> Also, I kinda love the idea of Steve and Bucky's old place being a museum/historical monument. It's always portrayed as having been torn down, but to me, I guess that doesn't seem super realistic maybe? I mean, they were famous, even during the war, and then they were war heroes who lost their lives in battle, so idk, I think maybe their apartment would've been preserved.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy much fluff for Steve and Bucky, with Steve and Tony's resolution right around the corner.

With little to no sleep, Steve had made his way out of the tower before the sun had even begun to rise. He couldn’t be here; it felt so stifling for some reason. He needed to get away, be somewhere else physically and mentally for a little while. He didn’t want the team to notice. He was supposed to be the strong one, the one who always knew what shots to call. He couldn’t look weak in front of them. Completely forgetting about how he’d left the gym the night before, he set out on his bike, mind swimming.

He found himself in Brooklyn, of course, just as the sun’s rays were starting to peek over the horizon. He spent a while riding around, and slowly people started to fill the streets as the day started. 

When he’d woken up in this strange future, he’d expected everything he’d ever known to be gone. Funnily enough, they’d turned his and Bucky’s old place into a museum, of all things. He hadn’t gone in, even to this day. It was hard enough, without the harsh material reminders. They’d sent a couple invitations to him, but he’d politely declined, and thankfully the museum hadn’t pressed.

It was something he needed now, though, he thought. He needed to center himself, to put himself back in that place all those years ago. It was something that he and Bucky disagreed on, he knew. Sometimes thinking of the past helped Steve, whereas Bucky would rather move on. Steve understood, of course.

Once he parked his bike, he made his way to the entrance. A few people stopped and stared, and Steve pretended their looks weren’t full of pity. The woman working the front desk seemed shocked and fumbled, before offering to close the museum for a bit for him. Steve was grateful for the sentiment but said it was all right, that he was just going to look around.

They’d renovated the lobby extensively. What used to be a dark, damp entrance to an apartment complex was now a gleaming white vestibule for visitors to come pay respects. There were renovated stairs, and they’d tried to match the red carpets that had lined them back in the thirties, except the red had never been that bright. They had always been dirty, a dingy maroon that had seemed to mock whenever Steve would wheeze and step up them to the third floor.

He slowly made his way up and noticed most of the other apartments were closed off to the public. It was an old building and not a very large museum. No doubt they didn’t have the money to renovate the whole thing. People stared as they passed him on the stairs, and seemed to part like the red sea. Steve tried his best to ignore it.

The door to his and Bucky’s old place was propped open and he noticed that it actually was the same door. He walked up to it and reverently put his hand on the dim iron wrought number nailed to the door. He was distantly aware of someone snapping a picture. He didn’t care. Most people wouldn’t dare mock Captain America for visiting his old home, and if they did, they didn’t much matter to Steve.

When he walked inside, people were still staring before there was a collective shuffle, parents whispering to their kids to get a move on, and suddenly, he had the room to himself.

It was so silent, and Steve almost didn’t want to concentrate on his surroundings. He finally did and he almost choked on his emotion. There were a lot of original furnishings, and Steve had to wonder how in the hell they’d managed to keep them standing all these years. They’d barely functioned as fixtures in the 30’s and 40’s.

The bed frame was still pushed in the corner, though the mattress was gone. Steve remembered Bucky’s ma coming over to give them blankets she’d knitted, wrapping them around Steve when he was deliriously sick with fever.

Steve sighed shakily, glancing at the old window. The glass still looked fogged and discolored, like no matter how much someone tried to clean it, it was of no use.

“Thought I might find you here.” A voice spoke up from behind him. Steve almost thought it was part of his reverie, like it was Bucky from before the war, talking to him as he got back from a job at the docks.

He turned slowly and saw Bucky standing there, hands shoved in his pockets. “Think we made a scene of sorts, Stevie. The people downright scattered, the museum’s closed up shop,” He tried to joke, but his smile was a little watery. No doubt he was having a hard time too, seeing this place.

“I’m sorry. I…should’ve asked if you wanted to come to,” Steve said finally, his voice sounding a bit raw. It didn’t feel real, standing here like this. It all felt like a fever dream. Maybe this was all one elaborate delirium, and Steve would wake up small and shaking. He’d be sweating as Bucky wrapped his arms around him for more heat, hoping to break the fever.

Bucky shuffled closer, his eyes looked just as worried as they had back then. “I don’t care about that, Stevie,” He said honestly. “Tell me what’s wrong. I saw the gym, and then Friday said you were gone. This…this is about Tony and me, ain’t it?” Bucky sighed and looked down at his feet for a moment before glancing back up at Steve.

Steve felt his blood turn cold. Was he that obvious? Bucky had figured it out already. Steve hadn’t meant to leave the gym like that, and maybe if he’d remembered to cover his tracks, Bucky wouldn’t be here right now. He should’ve known he would never be able to stay hidden from Bucky though. As horrible as the Soldier’s training was, it meant Bucky was the best there was at, well, basically anything.

“It’s not…I’m happy for you both. Really, I am. It was just…a shock, that’s all,” Steve tried, giving a bit of a half-truth. It had been shocking, seeing them, but it wasn’t as casual as that. Bucky didn’t look convinced either. There wasn’t any fooling Bucky; Steve knew that. They’d known each other for too long.

“Something is wrong. Don’t lie to me, Stevie,” Bucky said firmly, eyes serious. “Not here.” And hell if that didn’t strike something in Steve. He rubbed the back of his neck, not sure how he was going to get out of this. He couldn’t tell the truth, otherwise he’d lose both of them, wouldn’t even have them as friends.

“I’m fine, seriously, Bucky,” Steve tried again with a small, hesitant smile. He tried his best to fake contentment, but he knew it was a lost cause.

Bucky frowned, arms crossing over his chest. “Don’t give me that bullshit. I may have been the world’s shittiest friend for not connecting the lines sooner, but I can see now that you’ve been withdrawin’. You’ve been makin’ yourself scarce around us, even before you found us like that.” There was a long silence because honestly, Steve couldn’t deny it. He hadn’t been spending as much time with Tony in the lab, all of his emotions and feelings for both of them warring in his head.

“I…I’ve been feeling guilty,” Steve admitted, voice soft. Someone without their level of hearing probably wouldn’t have even caught it. Bucky could hear it loud and clear, though, so the confusion on his face wasn’t from that.

Steve isn’t even sure how that had slipped out. He supposed his subconscious was realizing that he had to tell the truth. Bucky would know, and it would only strain them further. Best to just get it out of the way, and deal with the awkwardness later.

Bucky didn’t question, just stayed silent in the hopes that Steve would elaborate. Eventually, he did. He took a deep breath, and his hands trembled a little. “It’s…a long story. But you’re right; it is about you and Tony. I guess I just never thought…I mean I saw the two of you getting closer, but I never assumed you’d…” Steve sighed again, realizing he was tripping over his own words.

Bucky’s eyebrows knitted together in concern, and Steve made himself keep going if only to get rid of that horrible look on his best friend’s face. “I love you, Buck. Not like a brother, not as a friend. Something more…and I always have.” The admission wasn’t a weight off his shoulders. It terrified him. He looked up, his heart heavy, hoping he wasn't about to lose Bucky again.

Bucky’s eyes had gone wide, a little curious, and maybe a little hopeful? But that didn’t make sense. Bucky didn’t want him like that, and now he had Tony. “Holy shit, we’re idiots,” Bucky breathed out, and that was definitely not the reaction Steve was expecting.

Steve was momentarily distracted from his panic by pure confusion. He raised a single eyebrow at Bucky, his lips in a slight pout as he tried to understand what the hell the other man was talking about.

Bucky took long strides toward him until he was very much in Steve’s space. Steve blinked. He was even more confused now as he felt one flesh and one metal hand come up to cup his face. “You don’t even know. How gone on you I was,” Bucky said softly. Steve felt his heart skip a beat. This definitely didn’t feel even remotely real, now.

“What?” Steve managed to croak out, finally feeling brave enough to look into Bucky’s eyes. Bucky let out an impatient huff, and he smirked. Steve wanted to know just what in the hell the jerk thought was so damn funny, but he was still in too much shock to ask.

“How many times I wanted to kiss you. Some of those nights over there in that corner…sometimes I thought I was losing you and I wondered if I should,” Bucky kept explaining, and now the room was spinning a bit. If Bucky hadn’t been there holding him in place, Steve might’ve stumbled.

“Bucky…what…I don’t understand,” Steve managed, his mind desperately trying to catch up with what the other man was saying. 

Bucky let out a soft laugh, and there were tears in his eyes, Steve noticed. “God, I know we would’ve been something if we hadn’t been born when we were. I was so scared of losing you, Stevie. Of you thinking I was sick, of getting arrested, taken away from you. Even if you agreed, which I thought you wouldn’t, I didn’t want to risk you. People might’ve killed you, and I…” Bucky sighed and pressed their foreheads together. Steve let himself close his eyes. This had to be a dream.

“This whole time…” Steve said softly, his voice a bit of a wreck because, wow would you look at that, he was crying too. There were things Steve missed so desperately from their old time. But this was one of the things he hated the past for. The laws of their time had kept them scared, kept them unhappy and apart.

When he felt a tentative brush of lips, his first reaction was to lean into it, kiss back. Kissing Bucky was somehow simultaneously everything he’d imagined and nothing like he had expected. It ran so deep like they’d done this a thousand times without knowing it. At the same time, it was new, exhilarating, and Steve wanted more.

With a horrible jolt, he remembered that he couldn’t have it. He pulled back as if burned, and guilt crashed over him again. “Buck…no, what about Tony? You’re happy. He’s happy, I can see it.” The absolute last thing Steve wanted to do was hurt either of them. They both deserved to be happy, and if that was with each other, well Steve would learn to handle it.

Bucky sighed, looking a little fondly exasperated. “Okay, I think maybe you deserve the title of idiot more than I do,” He teased and Steve frowned, purely confused and not at all offended. He was used to their soft teasing. “He’s got it for you, too, you know. We talked about it, how we both had…have, feelings for you,” Bucky explained further.

Steve was going to need to sit down soon. “This has to be a dream,” Steve muttered to himself, but again with the super hearing, Bucky caught every word. The jerk laughed, and Steve felt a slight blush form on his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

“You like him too, don’t you?” Bucky pressed as he guided them to the rickety table chairs, somehow having wordlessly sensed Steve’s need to sit down. They creaked as the soldiers sat like they might break under their weight, but whatever. They were their chairs anyway, dammit.

Steve didn’t see a point in denying it. “I do. I…he was happy with Pepper, Buck. So, so happy. I fell for him, but I never would’ve done anything to harm what they had. They were good, for a long time. The way he smiled at her…I could never have taken that smile away from him.” Steve shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

“You were gone…I thought you were dead, at first, and then I thought you were lost forever no matter how hard I searched. And Tony…he was there, this brilliant light in my life that gave me a home in a strange new world. It was easy to fall for him, even if I knew I shouldn’t have. When he and Pepper broke up…well, I was waiting. Waiting for him to heal, because I didn’t want to hurt him. I was just about ready to ask him, but then…there you were that night. In the chair, looking broken and lost, and somehow you found your way home, to me.”

Bucky listened intently and looked heartbroken for Steve. He never liked to see Steve in any pain, and even he couldn’t imagine everything Steve had gone through. Steve shook his head before he continued to explain in a soft tone. “I figured it wouldn’t be fair to him. Because I still loved you. I couldn’t put him through that, not after everything he’s lost,” Steve finished.

“And then you found us…you thought you’d lost us both,” Bucky said it as he realized it. Steve nodded, affirming Bucky’s suspicions. “Well, you haven’t. You haven’t lost either of us.”

There was a moment of silence between them before Bucky took Steve’s hand in his. “Let’s get out of here. We got a new home now, and a little genius waitin’ for us.” Bucky smiled and Steve couldn’t stop himself from smiling back. He didn’t know what all of this meant, and they hadn’t even asked Tony about it all, but he felt some hope.

They took one more moment to look around their old place, silently remembering another lifetime, before Bucky gave a little tug on his hand and they left. The receptionist gave them a smile as they walked out, but Steve was too preoccupied with the fact that Bucky was still holding his hand to notice.


	7. Chapter 7

When they finally got back to the tower, Tony was waiting in the common room. He was so damn nervous that he could hardly keep still as he tried to focus on the designs for Natasha’s new Widow Bites on the StarkPad he held in his hands. Waiting was torturous, and he wanted to just go get his suit so he could track down both super soldiers and bring them back. Bucky had told him to wait, though. After searching a few blocks and not finding any sign of Steve, not even a lead, Jarvis let them know that there was a sighting of the Captain in Brooklyn. Many people had snapped quick pictures of him on his bike, then a few more as he walked down the street on a very familiar road.

Bucky had gone a little pale and had asked Tony if he could go alone. It had torn at Tony to agree, but he knew that this was something that Steve and Bucky needed to do by themselves. He’d nodded and snagged a quick kiss before letting Bucky go. All attempts at trying to distract himself with research and designs for the team had been futile. He could only think about what must be going on if Bucky had found Steve at the little museum that they’d figured he’d be at. If he had, what were they talking about? He hoped that Steve didn’t hate them now.

It was two solid hours before he heard the elevator ding and two sets of steps behind him. Thor was off-world, Natasha and Clint had gone in for some SHIELD work, Vision and Wanda were on a date (which, honestly, he was still trying to wrap his head around that), and Sam was visiting the VA. So it had to be the two super soldiers. He quickly turned around to look at them, and he almost breathed a sigh of relief as he saw them holding hands, fingers laced together. He smiled, tentative but hopeful as he stood up and put his StarkPad aside.

He was jittery with nervousness. This had to be a good sign, right? Especially since both men were smiling back at him. “Hey…I take it things went well?” Tony asked as he took a few more steps toward them. Steve nodded, blushing a little as he looked at them. 

“Tony…I. I think we need to talk,” Steve said softly, and Tony raised an eyebrow at that. Usually, that was never a good thing to hear, but Bucky looked calm and there were still happy smiles on both of their faces, so he assumed that Steve didn’t mean for it to sound so relationship ending and menacing.

Tony nodded, agreeing. “Okay, let’s talk. You want Bucky with us?” The last thing he wanted was to make Steve uncomfortable again. He was dying to know what had happened, why Steve had been so upset, and why Steve and Bucky seemed so chummy now. Steve looked over at Bucky, happiness dimmed a little bit by the slightly regretful look that crossed over his features.

Bucky seemed to get the message. “I’ll be waiting upstairs. Tony’s suite. He’s got the biggest bed.” He wagged his eyebrows at them and laughed as he slowly walked away to the elevator. Steve’s cheeks went red again as he spluttered a bit. Tony took a little pity on him, and reached out, putting his hand on Steve’s shoulder to guide him across the room.

“Come on, don’t pay him any mind. Let’s go out to the balcony.” Tony wanted a little bit of fresh air right now, and it would be a better place to talk than the common room. Somewhere a little more private, just in case one or more of their teammates came back.

Steve nodded and followed him, looking determined. Tony almost laughed, because damn that look was so adorable on him in this situation and Steve didn’t even know it. He held it in though, not wanting to embarrass Steve or chase him off. They slid the sliding glass door closed and went to the edge of the small balcony that faced the city. It was a beautiful view. It probably would have been better at nighttime, Tony thought, but then again it would have been freezing.

“So, you wanted to talk?” Tony asked, helping Steve along again. He knew this wouldn’t be easy, but he had a feeling where this was all headed. They all liked each other, but Steve was worried Tony wouldn’t want that. Which was absolutely insane. Of course, he wanted it. He was barely keeping himself from just dragging Steve to the bedroom, already. But he needed to be patient. This was something Steve needed, to hash it all out. So Tony would let him talk, and he’d listen if it made Steve feel better.

Steve nodded, clearing his throat and he looked so damn nervous, that Tony couldn’t help but smile softly. It really was adorable that Steve was so terrible at this sort of thing. “It’s okay. Come on, Steve. We’ve been friends for years. I’m banging your best friend slash possible current boyfriend. You can tell me anything,” Tony offered; his smile widened a bit to show that he was sincere.

Steve choked a little at Tony’s words, his blush rising to the tips of his ears. Tony’s terrible brain had to wonder just how much of Steve’s skin could get all rosy pink like that…he’d log that experiment idea for later use.

“Tony, I…you seem very okay with this. I guess Bucky really wasn’t pulling my leg,” Steve sighed shakily and finally turned to face him. His jaw was set, a determined glint in his eye that Tony was used to seeing in the field, and really that shouldn’t be as hot as it was.

“He wasn’t pulling your leg about what? That I’ve been in love with you for years? That every time you came down to my lab, I would fantasize that it would be the time that you’d finally ask me for coffee?” Tony asked, a small private smirk on his lips as he watched Steve’s blue eyes widen.

“What? Years? But what about Pepper? You two were so happy.” Steve looked beyond confused. Tony sighed and nodded, thinking back to his past relationship. It was complicated, in his mind. Both good and bad times, and yet still Pepper was one of the most important people to him.

“I was, most of the time. She was good to me. Good for me. I just…wasn’t good for her. She doesn’t deserve this life we lead. The Avengers. Fighting other people’s battles all the time, risking our lives. I put her in so much danger because of Iron Man. I guess neither of us could live with that for any longer.” Tony admitted all of this and shrugged. 

It was nothing to shrug about, but he couldn’t do anything about it now. He wanted to move on, he was ready. “Besides, just because I was with her, that doesn’t mean I didn’t notice you. I would have never cheated on her or ended the relationship because of someone else, but…yeah. I did think about us sometimes,” Tony admitted openly, big brown eyes looking into Steve’s blue intently.

Steve felt his breath falter a little bit, with this admission. He really couldn’t believe after all this time of wanting Tony that this might finally be happening. Bucky was waiting for them up in Tony’s room. The three of them? Could it really work like that? “You and Bucky. You both had feelings for me, but didn’t think I’d return them?” Steve felt like the world’s biggest idiot. How could he have possibly given off all the wrong signals? Was he so concerned for their happiness and well being that he’d acted disinterested altogether?

Tony nodded, confirming Steve’s earlier question. He shifted closer, more in Steve’s space as they leaned against the balcony railing. He could smell Tony’s expensive cologne in the air, and it only made him want to be even closer. “Yeah. I guess you just give off a very straight vibe, being Mr. America and all,” Tony teased. Then, he seemed to hesitate a bit before reaching out and putting his hand gently on Steve’s forearm. “It’s not your fault. It’s not any of our faults. Circumstances kept us apart, but that’s over now. Bucky and I want you if you’ll have us?” Tony asked, looking beyond hopeful now. There wasn’t any point in hiding his emotions after all of this.

“Of course I want you. Both of you. I just. How is this going to work? All three of us together at once? That seems…very unconventional,” Steve said with a worried tremor in his voice. It wasn’t exactly a standard relationship, even in this modern world. They were all very public figures. People might think less of them for being in a gay polyamorous relationship. But really, why should Steve care? Still, he was worried.

“Yeah, it’s unconventional. But who gives a shit? If we make each other happy, that’s all that matters. Everything and everybody else can go shove it. We deserve it, especially you and Bucky. After all the hell you two have been through, all that you do to keep people safe,” Tony argued, looking like he’d fight anyone on this. Steve did notice a slight theme in there though. Tony didn’t think he deserved happiness as much as Steve and Bucky did.

“You deserve it just as much as us, Tony,” Steve said softly, and they were even closer now. Steve let his eyes flit over Tony’s features. Taking in everything at once, as much as he could. The other man’s long dark eyelashes, the slight crows feet that got more prominent when Tony smiled. Tony snorted derisively.

“Yeah, okay. I don’t agree with that, but sure,” Tony said with a slight self-deprecating laugh. Steve’s heart hurt so terribly for the genius. He reached out and put his hands on Tony’s shoulders, feeling along the material of Tony’s collared shirt. He wanted to feel skin, but that was for later.

“You deserve everything this world has to offer and more, Tony. You have such a big heart, you do so much for people. Even if they spit back in your face, you keep on trying. Keep doing good. Don’t you dare point out your past mistakes and use them as a reason for you to feel like you don’t deserve happiness. And don’t let anyone else do that to you, either.” Steve felt very vehemently about this. Tony tried to make it look like he brushed things off his shoulders, but Steve knew he harbored it all. 

“I…this talk was supposed to be about you,” Tony tried to deflect, glancing away to the city buildings below them. Steve huffed and tugged Tony closer, taking the genius into his arms almost protectively it seemed. He put one hand on Tony’s waist, the other coming up to cup Tony’s face, his thumb trailing gently over the apple of his cheek.

“Yeah, well. I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll convince you that you deserve it all, Tony. I’ll make you see how wonderful you are. So fiercely intelligent, caring…beautiful,” Steve said softly as he leaned in closer. Tony’s eyes were a little wide, fixed on his as they got mere inches apart. Steve leaned down, eyes slipping shut as he closed the space between them. Tony sighed into the kiss, content, eyes fluttering closed as well as he kissed back easily. The moment felt like it was too short, but at the same time, Tony thought that maybe they’d been like this for hours when Steve pulled away.

“Hmm,” Tony said quietly, “might need some more convincing.” And that got a soft laugh out of Steve. There was another soft kiss before Steve took Tony’s hand in his.

“Come on. Bucky’s probably going crazy waiting for us up there,” Steve said as he led Tony off of the balcony back into the building. They made their way easily to the elevator and found themselves kissing again, against the smooth chrome of the elevator wall. Tony wasn’t sure he’d ever get tired of feeling Steve’s lips on his.

When they got to Tony’s floor, they reluctantly separated just enough so they could get to Tony’s bedroom. Steve felt a new wave of nervousness. Was this really going to happen so quickly? Part of him thought maybe it was a bit rushed, but another part of him didn’t care. He wanted this, had wanted both of them for so long. He never imagined he could have them like this.

Bucky really was waiting for them when they opened the door. He outright grinned when he saw them. He took in their slightly disheveled appearances and Steve’s pink blush and made the correct assumptions. “Oh good,” he said as he stood and stretched. He was only in his boxers, his clothes on the floor in a crumpled heap. Steve almost chastised him for not putting them in the hamper or folding them, but he caught his own tongue. “I was beginning to worry you two had gotten distracted and started down there without me,” Bucky teased further. He sauntered over to them and kissed Tony eagerly.

Steve couldn’t help but watch. He could enjoy the sight now that he knew he hadn’t lost them both to each other. They were so beautiful together, and Steve knew he would never tire of watching them. Bucky turned to him next, and he caught Bucky’s lips in a kiss easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. He heard Tony’s quiet, interested hum from beside them.

This was so perfect; it almost felt like a dream. The sunlight filtered in through the slightly raised curtains as Bucky took both Steve and Tony’s hands in his and led them to the bed. They fell onto the soft sheets together, three sets of lips and hands all on each other. Later, Steve would wake up all tangled in limbs, two different patterns of soft breathing on either side of him, and think how lucky he was to end up there against all odds. Despite everything it had taken to get them there, they’d gotten a second chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! Finally. It took me way too long to finish writing this, oops! I hope you guys have enjoyed it anyway! I promised a happy ending, and I delivered, with much fluff. Seriously, it's tooth rotting. You're welcome. Haha!
> 
> Also, let me know if you guys want a NSFW Epilogue? I kinda faded to black there a little bit, just because I'd rated this fic a T. I can certainly write a little follow up though if people want that! ;)
> 
> Thanks so much to everyone who's commented, given kudos, and read!


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